4Th Grade Performance Task

4th Grade Performance Task

Step 1: Learning Targets and Success Criteria
Learning Targets
W4.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Science Standard 5 Objective 4b: Describe how the behavior and adaptations of Utah mammals help them survive winter (e.g., obtaining food, building homes, hibernation, migration.) / Transfer
Students will be able to independently use their learning to use text to support their writing to improve the details.
Success Criteria
I can describe how animals adapt to their environment in the cold winter.
I can include details from the text to support my answer.
I can self-assess my writing using a rubric.
Step 2: Context
Text Set
Title: Chilly, Silly Seal / Description: This text describes adaptations of the seal, but does it in an implicit manner. Teachers will need to help students explicitly tie the text to the concept of adaptations.
Use this link when at a Utah School:
Lexile: 680
Qualitative Features: simple sentence structure, supportive images, significant new content and terminology
Title: A Fox of Many Colors / Description: This text describes how a fox’s fur changes to adjust to changes in weather.

Lexile: 810
Qualitative Features: Moderate vocabulary demands, images closely align with text, text cohesion is moderately complex
Title: Animals Get Ready / Description: This text discusses how animals get ready for winter: hibernate, hide, and migrate. This text would be a great piece to scaffold students into the more complex texts in this text set.

Lexile: 690
Qualitative Features: Moderate vocabulary demands, simple sentence structures, mix of simple and complicated content.
Title:Wonderful Wetland / Description:This text describes Utah’s wetland environment and the animals who live in this habitat. It specifically describes the adaptations of beavers, great blue heron, and brine shrimp.

Lexile: 930
Qualitative Features: moderate content demands, moderately complex sentence structure, organizational structure is supportive
Title: Alaskan Animal Adaptations / Description: This text highlights how 11 different Alaskan animals adapt to their environment in order to survive. Example lesson for this text is available on UEN.

Lexile: 990
Qualitative Features: unfamiliar content (specifically the animals in the text), significant vocabulary demands, supportive text structure.
Title:Winter is Coming / Description: This text highlights four ways animals adapt to the winter: part-time sleepers, hibernate, migrate, and stay busy.

Lexile: 710
Qualitative Features: consistent text cohesion, clear text structure, moderate vocabulary demands
Title: Animal Adaptations
Lexile: 1160
Qualitative Features: unfamiliar, domain-specific vocabulary; simple organization structure, simple text cohesion, moderately complex sentence structure / Description: This text addresses Utah animals and how beavers, mule deer, mountain lions, eagles, and Canadian Geese adapt to the Utah environment.
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Step 3: Performance Task
Afterreading “Animal Adaptations”, “Wonderful Wetland”, and “Winter is Coming”describe how animals adapt to their environment in order to survive. Cite evidence from the text to support your descriptions.
Step 4: Scoring Guide
Performance Criteria / 4
Highly Proficient / 3
Proficient / 2
Approaching Proficient / 1
Below Proficient
Focus and Organization
W.4.2.a / Responds skillfully to all parts of the prompt.
Demonstrates a strong understanding of topic/text(s)
Controlling idea or main idea of a topic is focused, clearly stated, and strongly maintained
Logically groups related information into paragraphs or sections, including formatting. / Responds to all parts of the prompt.
Demonstrates sufficient understanding of topic/text(s)
Focus is clear and for the most part maintained, though some loosely related material may be present
Groups related information into paragraphs or sections, including formatting (e.g., headings) / Responds to most parts of the prompt.
Demonstrates limited understanding of topic/text(s)
May be clearly focused on the controlling or main idea, but is insufficiently sustained
Grouping of ideas lacks cohesion (e.g., list-like, rambling, or repetitive) / Responds to some or no parts of the prompt.
Demonstrates little to no understanding of topic/text(s)
Use of evidence from the source material is minimal, absent, in error, or irrelevant
Does not group related information together
Evidence and Elaboration
W.4.2.b, W.4.2.d, & L.4.3 / The response provides thorough and convincing support/evidence for the controlling idea or main idea that includes the effective use of sources, facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples
Seamlessly embeds the use of precise language and domain-specific vocabulary / The response provides adequate support/evidence for controlling idea or main idea that includes the use of sources, facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples
Uses precise language and domain-specific vocabulary / The response provides uneven, cursory support/ evidence for the controlling idea or main idea that includes partial or uneven use of sources, facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples
Uses little precise language and/or domain-specific vocabulary / The response provides minimal support/evidence for the controlling idea or main idea that includes little or no use of sources, facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples
Precise language and/or domain-specific vocabulary is absent
Transitions
W.4.2.c / Use linking words and phrases skillfully to connect ideas within categories of information / Uses linking words and phrases appropriately to connect ideas within categories of information. / Attempts to use some linking words and phrases to connect ideas. / Uses no linking words or phrases
Conclusion
W.4.2.e / Effective, insightful conclusion related to information presented. / An adequate conclusion related to information presented. / Conclusion, if present, is weak and/or is not related to the information presented / Conclusion is not present
Conventions
L.4.1 & L.4.2 / Uses purposeful, correct, and varied sentence structures
Demonstrates creativity and flexibility when using conventions (grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling) to enhance meaning / Uses correct and varied sentence structures
Demonstrates grade level appropriate conventions; errors are minor and do not obscure meaning / Uses some repetitive, yet correct sentence structure
Demonstrates some grade level appropriate conventions, but errors obscure meaning / Does not demonstrate sentence mastery
Demonstrates limited understanding of grade level appropriate conventions, and errors interfere with the meaning
Step 5: Review and Revise